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Michael Finewax

The Week Ahead

Playoffs are coming

Fantasy pools are headed into the playoffs in the last three weeks of the season so with four weeks remaining, I’ll give you the remaining games for each team (not including this week as those games are in their normal spot below) with the weekly numbers in brackets.

The Ducks are the rested team twice this week. They play a tired Detroit team on Wednesday as the Red Wings are in Los Angeles on Tuesday while the same thing happens on Sunday with Nashville as the opponent as they face off against the Kings Saturday. Bobby Ryan has 25 goals but his lack of playing time on the first power play has hurt as he has only six of his 43 points with the man-advantage. He will likely get a break next season if Teemu Selanne retires. Selanne is now tied for 19th on the all-time scoring list with fellow Finn Jari Kurri with 1,398 points. Sheldon Brookbank has had a surprising fantasy season as the blueliner has only two goals and 11 points but is plus-13 with 59 minutes. Not bad for someone who was never drafted in fantasy pools unless he was a friend or family member.

BOSTON

Games this week

@ Tampa Bay, @ Florida, vs. Philadelphia

Notes

Tuukka Rask suffered a lower abdomen/groin injury and will be lost to the Bruins for the next three-four weeks. The move forced the Bruins to sign UFA Marty Turco who had been playing in Austria since December as he was unable to hook on with an NHL team. Look for Turco to get three-four starts the rest of the way as Boston will want to rest the veteran Tim Thomas as much as they possibly can before the playoffs. The news is not good in regards to Nathan Horton as he is out with his second concussion in less than nine months. The most recent one occurred on January 22 and while he has begun riding a stationary bike, there is no timetable for his return. Jordan Caron had three goals and five points in his last two games heading into Thursday’s action.

BUFFALO

Games this week

vs. Montreal, vs. Colorado, @ Florida

Notes

The Sabres are back in the playoff race and Ryan Miller has been a big reason why. He was the first star of the week as he had back-to-back shutouts. Heading into this past week he had a 1.75 GAA and a stunning .943 save percentage in 16 games since the All-Star break. Thomas Vanek scored for the first time in seven games and the Sabres need him to get going if they are to keep their playoff hopes alive. Unfortunately he suffered an upper body injury Thursday and is day-to-day. Andrej Sekera missed Wednesday’s game with flu-like symptoms and he was replaced by former Canuck Alexander Sulzer. Ville Leino potted a couple of goals this past week but has been a big disappointment with only six goals this season.

CALGARY

Games this week

vs. San Jose, vs. Phoenix, @ Edmonton, vs. Columbus

Notes

The Flames play four games this week including three in four so look for Leland Irving to possibly play once instead of Miikka Kiprusoff. Every game the Flames play this week involves a rested and tired team with Calgary being the beneficiary three times. The Flames are tired on Friday when they are in Edmonton after hosting the Coyotes the night before. They are rested Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday when they play San Jose, Phoenix and Columbus respectively at home. The Canucks entertain the Coyotes and Blue Jackets on Wednesday and Saturday while the Sharks are in Edmonton Monday. Matthew Stajan is practicing on the top line with Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla due to the slew of injuries up front for the Flames. Michael Cammalleri, Tim Jackman, Lee Stempniak, Blake Comeau and Mikael Backlund are just some of the injured forwards. Sven Baertschi was recalled on an emergency basis because of the injuries.

CAROLINA

Games this week

@ New York Rangers, vs. St. Louis, @ Minnesota, @ Winnipeg

Notes

The Hurricanes play three games in four nights so look for Cam Ward to get a rest in one game with Brian Boucher back and getting a start. They are tired Sunday in Winnipeg after playing the Wild in Minnesota Saturday. Cam Ward is 1-0-1 this past week and has stopped 85 of 91 shots as the Hurricanes have been allowing a ton of shots on goal of late. Eric Staal is on a 12 game scoring streak in which he has seven goals and 21 points. Jeff Skinner has had his problems scoring since returning from a concussion19 games ago as he only 11 points in that span. They sent Justin Peters back to the minors with the return to action of Boucher.

CHICAGO

Games this week

vs. St. Louis, @ Dallas, vs. Washington

Notes

Jonathan Toews finally skated before practice on Thursday. He has missed the last eight games with a suspected concussion and there is no current timetable for his return. They have lost Sami Lepisto indefinitely with a leg injury suffered on Tuesday but are scheduled to get Niklas Hjalmarsson back Friday from a concussion. Brent Seabrook picked up an assist on Tuesday, his first point in nine games. Ray Emery, who was the third star of the week, has started four of the last five games and is scheduled to start on Friday so Corey Crawford continues to sit at the end of the bench awaiting his next chance. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Goalies tend to regress their second year in the NHL after having a great rookie season.

COLORADO

Games this week

vs. Anaheim, @ Buffalo, @ New Jersey, @ New York Rangers

Notes

The Avalanche play four times including three games in four nights so it is likely that Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere will split the goaltending duties. They will be tired Thursday in New Jersey after playing in Buffalo Wednesday. Matt Duchene suffered an ankle injury and is projected to miss three-to-four weeks, his second major injury this season. It has been a terrible year for the third year NHLer as he has only 13 goals and 26 points in 48 games after 55 and 67 point seasons his first two years in the league. Chuck Kobasew (back) has been out since Feb. 27 and is still not ready to return.

COLUMBUS

Games this week

@Edmonton, @ Vancouver, @ Calgary

Notes

The Blue Jackets will be tired Sunday in Calgary as they are in Vancouver Saturday while the Flames are home and waiting. They play all three in Western Canada. Fedor Tyutin could miss the rest of the season with a broken hand. Derek MacKenzie has been an outstanding plus/minus player for the Blue Jackets the last two seasons but he suffered a possible concussion and is on the shelf. Steve Mason has given up five goals in his last four games, all wins, but was injured Thursday. Vaclav Prospal has seven points in his last seven games. Kristian Huselius has played only twice this season and it looks like that could be it this year as he will try to return to action at training camp from the groin injury. Penalty minute leader Derek Dorsett suffered an upper body injury Thursday and is day-to-day.

DALLAS

Games this week

@ Minnesota, @ Winnipeg, vs. Chicago

Notes

The Stars play three games in four nights and Richard Bachman will likely get one start instead of Kari Lehtonen. They are tired Wednesday in Winnipeg after playing in Minnesota the night before. Brenden Morrow, who has missed over five weeks with a neck/back problem, should be back in action this week as he is 60/40 to play on March 10 according to coach Glen Gulutzan. Richard Bachman got a surprise start on Tuesday and defeated the high-flying Vancouver Canucks, stopping 29 shots in a 5-2 win. Loui Eriksson has 23 goals and 61 points in 67 games this season as he heads towards his third straight 70 point season.

DETROIT

Games this week

@ Los Angeles, @ Anaheim, @ San Jose

Notes

Detroit will be tired on Wednesday when they face the Ducks in Anaheim after playing the Kings in Los Angeles Tuesday. They are in California all week. They welcomed back Pavel Datsyuk to practice on Thursday for the first time since undergoing knee surgery. Look for him to return at some point during the California swing. Also returning to practice on Thursday was Nicklas Lidstrom who has missed the last four games with a deep ankle bruise. The Red Wings recalled Gustav Nyquist, as Todd Bertuzzi is still out of the lineup, and sent Chris Conner to the minors. Jimmy Howard is out with a groin injury that is not believed to be serious. Look for Joey MacDonald to play while he is out. Niklas Kronwell had two goals and seven points and was the second star of the week.

Fantasy pools are headed into the playoffs in the last three weeks of the season so with four weeks remaining, I’ll give you the remaining games for each team (not including this week as those games are in their normal spot below) with the weekly numbers in brackets.

The Ducks are the rested team twice this week. They play a tired Detroit team on Wednesday as the Red Wings are in Los Angeles on Tuesday while the same thing happens on Sunday with Nashville as the opponent as they face off against the Kings Saturday. Bobby Ryan has 25 goals but his lack of playing time on the first power play has hurt as he has only six of his 43 points with the man-advantage. He will likely get a break next season if Teemu Selanne retires. Selanne is now tied for 19th on the all-time scoring list with fellow Finn Jari Kurri with 1,398 points. Sheldon Brookbank has had a surprising fantasy season as the blueliner has only two goals and 11 points but is plus-13 with 59 minutes. Not bad for someone who was never drafted in fantasy pools unless he was a friend or family member.

BOSTON

Games this week

@ Tampa Bay, @ Florida, vs. Philadelphia

Notes

Tuukka Rask suffered a lower abdomen/groin injury and will be lost to the Bruins for the next three-four weeks. The move forced the Bruins to sign UFA Marty Turco who had been playing in Austria since December as he was unable to hook on with an NHL team. Look for Turco to get three-four starts the rest of the way as Boston will want to rest the veteran Tim Thomas as much as they possibly can before the playoffs. The news is not good in regards to Nathan Horton as he is out with his second concussion in less than nine months. The most recent one occurred on January 22 and while he has begun riding a stationary bike, there is no timetable for his return. Jordan Caron had three goals and five points in his last two games heading into Thursday’s action.

BUFFALO

Games this week

vs. Montreal, vs. Colorado, @ Florida

Notes

The Sabres are back in the playoff race and Ryan Miller has been a big reason why. He was the first star of the week as he had back-to-back shutouts. Heading into this past week he had a 1.75 GAA and a stunning .943 save percentage in 16 games since the All-Star break. Thomas Vanek scored for the first time in seven games and the Sabres need him to get going if they are to keep their playoff hopes alive. Unfortunately he suffered an upper body injury Thursday and is day-to-day. Andrej Sekera missed Wednesday’s game with flu-like symptoms and he was replaced by former Canuck Alexander Sulzer. Ville Leino potted a couple of goals this past week but has been a big disappointment with only six goals this season.

CALGARY

Games this week

vs. San Jose, vs. Phoenix, @ Edmonton, vs. Columbus

Notes

The Flames play four games this week including three in four so look for Leland Irving to possibly play once instead of Miikka Kiprusoff. Every game the Flames play this week involves a rested and tired team with Calgary being the beneficiary three times. The Flames are tired on Friday when they are in Edmonton after hosting the Coyotes the night before. They are rested Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday when they play San Jose, Phoenix and Columbus respectively at home. The Canucks entertain the Coyotes and Blue Jackets on Wednesday and Saturday while the Sharks are in Edmonton Monday. Matthew Stajan is practicing on the top line with Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla due to the slew of injuries up front for the Flames. Michael Cammalleri, Tim Jackman, Lee Stempniak, Blake Comeau and Mikael Backlund are just some of the injured forwards. Sven Baertschi was recalled on an emergency basis because of the injuries.

CAROLINA

Games this week

@ New York Rangers, vs. St. Louis, @ Minnesota, @ Winnipeg

Notes

The Hurricanes play three games in four nights so look for Cam Ward to get a rest in one game with Brian Boucher back and getting a start. They are tired Sunday in Winnipeg after playing the Wild in Minnesota Saturday. Cam Ward is 1-0-1 this past week and has stopped 85 of 91 shots as the Hurricanes have been allowing a ton of shots on goal of late. Eric Staal is on a 12 game scoring streak in which he has seven goals and 21 points. Jeff Skinner has had his problems scoring since returning from a concussion19 games ago as he only 11 points in that span. They sent Justin Peters back to the minors with the return to action of Boucher.

CHICAGO

Games this week

vs. St. Louis, @ Dallas, vs. Washington

Notes

Jonathan Toews finally skated before practice on Thursday. He has missed the last eight games with a suspected concussion and there is no current timetable for his return. They have lost Sami Lepisto indefinitely with a leg injury suffered on Tuesday but are scheduled to get Niklas Hjalmarsson back Friday from a concussion. Brent Seabrook picked up an assist on Tuesday, his first point in nine games. Ray Emery, who was the third star of the week, has started four of the last five games and is scheduled to start on Friday so Corey Crawford continues to sit at the end of the bench awaiting his next chance. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Goalies tend to regress their second year in the NHL after having a great rookie season.

COLORADO

Games this week

vs. Anaheim, @ Buffalo, @ New Jersey, @ New York Rangers

Notes

The Avalanche play four times including three games in four nights so it is likely that Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere will split the goaltending duties. They will be tired Thursday in New Jersey after playing in Buffalo Wednesday. Matt Duchene suffered an ankle injury and is projected to miss three-to-four weeks, his second major injury this season. It has been a terrible year for the third year NHLer as he has only 13 goals and 26 points in 48 games after 55 and 67 point seasons his first two years in the league. Chuck Kobasew (back) has been out since Feb. 27 and is still not ready to return.

COLUMBUS

Games this week

@Edmonton, @ Vancouver, @ Calgary

Notes

The Blue Jackets will be tired Sunday in Calgary as they are in Vancouver Saturday while the Flames are home and waiting. They play all three in Western Canada. Fedor Tyutin could miss the rest of the season with a broken hand. Derek MacKenzie has been an outstanding plus/minus player for the Blue Jackets the last two seasons but he suffered a possible concussion and is on the shelf. Steve Mason has given up five goals in his last four games, all wins, but was injured Thursday. Vaclav Prospal has seven points in his last seven games. Kristian Huselius has played only twice this season and it looks like that could be it this year as he will try to return to action at training camp from the groin injury. Penalty minute leader Derek Dorsett suffered an upper body injury Thursday and is day-to-day.

DALLAS

Games this week

@ Minnesota, @ Winnipeg, vs. Chicago

Notes

The Stars play three games in four nights and Richard Bachman will likely get one start instead of Kari Lehtonen. They are tired Wednesday in Winnipeg after playing in Minnesota the night before. Brenden Morrow, who has missed over five weeks with a neck/back problem, should be back in action this week as he is 60/40 to play on March 10 according to coach Glen Gulutzan. Richard Bachman got a surprise start on Tuesday and defeated the high-flying Vancouver Canucks, stopping 29 shots in a 5-2 win. Loui Eriksson has 23 goals and 61 points in 67 games this season as he heads towards his third straight 70 point season.

DETROIT

Games this week

@ Los Angeles, @ Anaheim, @ San Jose

Notes

Detroit will be tired on Wednesday when they face the Ducks in Anaheim after playing the Kings in Los Angeles Tuesday. They are in California all week. They welcomed back Pavel Datsyuk to practice on Thursday for the first time since undergoing knee surgery. Look for him to return at some point during the California swing. Also returning to practice on Thursday was Nicklas Lidstrom who has missed the last four games with a deep ankle bruise. The Red Wings recalled Gustav Nyquist, as Todd Bertuzzi is still out of the lineup, and sent Chris Conner to the minors. Jimmy Howard is out with a groin injury that is not believed to be serious. Look for Joey MacDonald to play while he is out. Niklas Kronwell had two goals and seven points and was the second star of the week.

EDMONTON

Games this week

vs. San Jose, vs. Columbus, vs. Calgary, vs. Phoenix

Notes

The Oilers play four times this week, but not three games in four nights. Still, expect to see Devan Dubnyk and Nikolai Khabibulin split the goaltending duties. They will be rested Friday when they host Calgary who are home to the Coyotes the previous night. Linus Omark was recalled Monday but saw fourth line minutes, in what was a bit of a surprise. Sam Gagner has only two points in his last seven games. Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle have 12 and nine power play goals respectively while Eberle leads the Oilers with 30 goals and 63 points. Ben Eager leads the Oilers in penalty minutes with 94.

FLORIDA

Games this week

vs. Toronto, vs. Boston, vs. Buffalo

Notes

Dmitry Kulikov skated on Tuesday but is likely still a couple of weeks away from returning to action from a knee injury. Kris Versteeg is still out with a lower body injury and has missed the last five games. Scottie Upshall has begun to skate again after being out with a sports hernia injury. He has played only 17 games this season. Matt Bradley has been some light workouts but is still nowhere close to returning to action from his concussion. Marco Sturm has been a healthy scratch the last two games.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week

vs. Detroit @ Anaheim, vs. Nashville

Notes

The Kings will be tired on Saturday at home against the Predators after playing in Anaheim the previous night. Drew Doughty has four goals and no assists in his last 12 games. He has actually gone 15 games without a helper. It’s surprising to see that the highly regarded Jonathan Bernier has played in only 14 games but that’s what happens when you have a stud ahead of you in Jonathan Quick. Do not be surprised if the Kings deal Bernier in the off-season to a team looking for a goalie (Columbus or Toronto?). Kyle Clifford has 101 penalty minutes to lead the Kings while Anze Kopitar leads in assists and points with 37 and 56 respectively and is tied with Dustin Brown for the team lead in goals with 19.

MINNESOTA

Games this week

vs. Dallas, vs. Carolina

Notes

The Wild only play twice this week so I recommend benching all your Minnesota players. It looks like the flu bug is going through the Wild dressing room as Jared Spurgeon and Cal Clutterbuck are under the weather. Niklas Backstrom is out (what is it with the N. Backstroms in the NHL this season as both are out) and the Wild recalled Matthew Hackett who got two straight starts but couldn’t get a win so Josh Harding is back in the net. Harding got hurt on Thursday and the Wild goaltending is up in the air as the next two in line, Darcy Kuemper and Dennis Endras are not available with Kuemper likely out for the season as he may need surgery for an upper body injury and Endras was returned to Finland a few months ago. They will need to sign a goalie on an AHL contract or sign one who is currently in Europe and will have to go through waivers. Of course, if Harding is okay to backup, all this is moot.

MONTREAL

Games this week

@ Buffalo, vs. Ottawa, @ Ottawa, vs. New York Islanders

Notes

The Canadiens play four times including three games in four nights so look for Peter Budaj to play once in place of Carey Price. The Habs will be tired on Saturday after playing in Ottawa Friday. Speaking of the Senators, Montreal will play them in a home-and-home series this week so the fists could be flying. Expect to see P.K. Subban and Brad Staubitz to add to their penalty minute totals. Andrei Markov (knee) is now participating in contact drill and is closer to returning. Scott Gomez returned to action Thursday after missing a couple of games with an eye injury. They signed Patrick Holland who they picked up in the Michael Cammalleri deal with Calgary, to a three-year deal.

NASHVILLE

Games this week

@ Phoenix, @ San Jose, @ Los Angeles, @ Anaheim

Notes

The Predators are on the road for all four this week including three games in four nights. Expect to see Anders Lindback play once in place of Pekka Rinne. They are out west for all four and will be rested on Saturday when they face a tired Los Angeles team as the Kings play in Anaheim Friday. They are tired Saturday as they make the cross-town ride to Anaheim to face the Ducks. Andrei Kostitsyn and David Legwand seem to be working well together and that will only benefit the Predators. Kevin Klein has missed five straight games but could return this week from the upper body injury.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week

@ Philadelphia, vs. Colorado, vs. Pittsburgh

Notes

The Devils are rested on Thursday when they are home to Colorado who are in Buffalo Wednesday. The game in Philadelphia is the back half of a home-and-home series so look for David Clarkson, Eric Boulton and Ryan Carter to lead the way in penalty minutes. Travis Zajac (Achilles) skated before practice on Thursday. He has not played since January 2. Alexei Ponikarovsky returned to action on Thursday after missing three games with a sprained MCL. Zach Parise has been having a problem with his hand but has not missed a game since injuring it on March 4. Congratulations to Petr Sykora who played in his 1,000th NHL game on Sunday. Ilya Kovalchuk had the hat trick on Thursday and now has 29 goals on the season, two ahead of David Clarkson.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week

vs. Washington , vs. Philadelphia, @ Montreal

Notes

The Islanders are rested on Saturday when they face Montreal as the Habs are in Ottawa Friday. Michael Grabner was a healthy scratch on Thursday after missing two games with the flu. He only has one goal in his last 19 games so perhaps the move was overdue. Joshua Bailey has benefited from a move from center to the wing by responding with four goals in his first four games. Matt Moulson leads the Islanders in goals and power play goals with 28 and 11 respectively while John Tavares has 63 points in 67 games. Matt Martin is tops in penalty minutes with 99 while Travis Hamonic leads in plus/minus at plus-seven.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week

vs. Carolina, vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Colorado

Notes

Brandon Dubinsky is day-to-day with a sinus issue as a result of a fight with the Devils’ Ryan Carter. The Rangers have parted ways with Sean Avery as he was told not to come to the rink anymore and that he would not be part of the Rangers AHL farm team’s Connecticut roster in the playoffs. There are rumors that the New Yorkers will sign their first round pick from 2009, Chris Kreider to a contract before the end of the regular season. In trade talks at the deadline a lot of deals were predicated upon the Rangers giving up Kreider but New York refused to do so. The speedy winger had 20 goals and 37 points in 36 games for Boston College this season.

OTTAWA

Games this week

@ Montreal, vs. Montreal, vs. Toronto

Notes

The Senators play three games in four nights so look for Alexander Auld to play once in place of Ben Bishop. All of this could change if the Senators decide to recall Robin Lehner from the minors as he and Bishop switched spots last week with Bishop taking over as number one while Lehner was returned to the minors. The Senators will be the tired team Saturday as they take on the rested Maple Leafs as Ottawa hosts Montreal on Friday. The Habs and Ottawa play a home-and-home series this week so look for Chris Neil and Zenon Konopka to add to their penalty minute count as there should be fisticuffs. Craig Anderson skated before practice on Thursday for the first time since cutting the tendon in his right pinkie. There is no timetable for his return as of yet. Colin Greening has replaced Bobby Butler on the top line as he is teaming up with Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek.

PHILADELPHIA

Games this week

vs. New Jersey, @ New York Islanders, @ Boston, vs. Pittsburgh

Notes

The Flyers play three games in four nights so look for Sergei Bobrovsky to get one start in place of the suddenly hot Ilya Bryzgalov. The Sunday game against the Penguins is the beginning of a five game homestand. Tuesday’s home game against New Jersey is the back half of a home-and-home series so look for Zac Rinaldo and Scott Hartnell to add to their penalty minute totals if there is any rough stuff. Daniel Briere had two assists on Thursday but has now gone 21 games without a goal. Claude Giroux has 79 points and trails Steve Stamkos by only three points in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.

PHOENIX

Games this week

vs. Nashville, @ Vancouver, @ Calgary, @ Edmonton

Notes

The Coyotes play four times this week including three games in four nights so Jason LaBarbera could get one start in place of Mike Smith. The Coyotes will be tired on Thursday when they play the rested Flames as they take on the Canucks Wednesday. Ray Whitney is having a great season as he approaches his 40th birthday leading the Coyotes with 40 assists and 61 points to go with a plus-21 rating. Antoine Vermette finally scored his first goal in a Phoenix uniform this past week as he is centering a line with Shane Doan and Lauri Korpikoski. Martin Hanzal has seven assists in his last eight games, but only one in his last four.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week

@ New York Rangers, @ New Jersey, @ Philadelphia

Notes

The Penguins play three games in four nights this week so look for Brad Thiessen to play once in place of Marc-Andre Fleury. It looks like Sidney Crosby is ready to return to action on March 11 from his concussion which has allowed him to play only eight times thus far this season. James Neal has gone eight straight games without a goal. Kris Letang (concussion) managed to get in some light off-ice work Tuesday, but there is no timetable for his return. Evgeni Malkin had his eight game scoring streak halted on Wednesday. Steve Sullivan has 12 points in his last nine games.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week

@ Chicago, @ Carolina, @ Tampa Bay

Notes

The Blues are 35-0 when scoring three or more goals this season. Alex Pietrangelo is becoming one of the top offensive defensemen in the NHL as he has 30 points in his last 30 games. They continue to get the best goaltending in the NHL with Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott. Halak has won his last seven games and is now 22-10-5 with a 1.89 GAA and a .926 save percentage while Elliott is 20-8-2 with a 1.63 GAA and a .937 save percentage. Kevin Shattenkirk is having a quiet but very good season, with nine goals and 35 points. He also has 42 penalty minutes with a plus-26 rating and 13 power play points.

SAN JOSE

Games this week

@ Edmonton, @ Calgary, vs. Nashville, vs. Detroit

Notes

The Sharks play four times this week including three in four games so look for Thomas Greiss to play at least once instead of Antti Niemi. They are tired Tuesday when they take on a rested Flames team in Calgary after playing in Edmonton Monday. Martin Havlat (torn hamstring) is continuing to skate as he attempts to get ready to return by mid-March and is on the current road trip. Logan Couture returned to action this past week from a knee injury and his return is much needed. Joe Pavelski and Marc-Eduard Vlasic lead the team in plus/minus at plus-14 while Couture leads in goals with 27 and Joe Thornton is tops in points with 59.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week

vs. Boston, vs. Toronto, vs. St. Louis

Notes

Teddy Purcell is hot right now as he has 22 points in his last 11 games, giving him 55 points in 66 games. Mathieu Garon is out three-four weeks with a groin injury so Dwayne Roloson could get another chance to play in goal. They recalled Dustin Tokarski with the injury to Garon and he could get some starts, especially if Roloson falters as he done so often this season. Victor Hedman returned to action after missing four games with an upper body injury. Steve Stamkos looks like the winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy and barring injury he should win it as he has 48 goals, ten ahead of his closest competitor Evgeni Malkin. Vincent Lecavalier is skating as he attempts to return from a non-displaced fracture in his right hand.

TORONTO

Games this week

@ Florida, @ Tampa Bay, @ Ottawa

Notes

The Maple Leafs will be rested on Saturday when they travel to Ottawa to take on the Senators who will be tired after playing the second half of a home-and-home series against Montreal Friday. They shook things up on March 2 when they fired coach Ron Wilson and hired former Brian Burke protégé Randy Carlyle. It appears that Jonas Gustavsson is Carlyle’s choice of goaltenders at this moment with James Reimer stuck on the bench. The Maple Leafs will become a much better conditioned team under Carlyle but that may not show up until next season. Joffrey Lupul could be gone for the season as he is out three-four weeks with a separated shoulder. The Maple Leafs tied up second line center Mikhail Grabovski for the next five years, paying him $5.5 million a season. Jay Rosehill passed through re-entry waivers and will get fourth line minutes as Toronto tries to become more truculent once again.

VANCOUVER

Games this week

vs. Phoenix, vs. Columbus

Notes

The Canucks play only twice this week so I recommend benching all your Canucks in pools that allow weekly transactions only, with the exception of Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin and possibly Alexander Edler who is hot of late. Christopher Higgins was moved up to the second line on Thursday and responded in a big way with seven shots on goal and stellar work along the boards. David Booth and Ryan Kesler will benefit from his effort. Kesler potted a shorthanded goal on Thursday, only his second goal in his last 15 games. The Sedin twins have been slumping of late as well with Daniel picking up only one assist in his last seven games and Henrik not even doing that well. Alex Burrows is playing wing on the first power play with Kesler moving back to the point, alongside Elder.

WASHINGTON

Games this week

@ New York Islanders, @ Winnipeg, @ Chicago

Notes

The Capitals are on the road for all three this week. Mike Green has had an injury plagued season and it may be getting worse as he could be getting suspended for his hit to the head on Tampa Bay’s Brett Connolly. Stay tuned to Rotoworld for further updates. Dmitry Orlov has changed the spelling of his first name from Dmitri to Dmitry. Tomas Vokoun was out with a lower body injury but returned to action, so Braden Holtby was sent back to the minors. Mike Knuble returned to action on March 4 after being a healthy scratch since Feb. 22, but has been a healthy scratch the last two games so it is time to cut bait on him. Karl Alzner leads with a plus-10 rating while Knuble is a team-worst minus-16.

WINNIPEG

Games this week

vs. Dallas, vs. Washington, vs. Carolina

Notes

Winnipeg will be a rested team facing a tired squad twice this week. It starts off on Wednesday when they face Dallas who take on Minnesota Tuesday and then face Carolina Sunday as the Hurricanes are also in Minnesota the previous night. The Jets are just outside of a playoff spot and while they have been outstanding at home (21-10-4), they are only 11-18-3 on the road and play eight of their last 14 games away from Portage and Main. Blake Wheeler is catching fire on the goal scoring front with five goals in his last five games to give him 16 this season. Ondrej Pavelec has a career high 25 wins, but the 24-year-old thinks he can even be better which is great news for Jets fans. Zach Bogosian returned to action from a wrist injury after missing seven games. Unfortunately he re-injured the wrist and has missed the last two games.